Tuesday, September 25 at 6:00 PM at the Charles P. Taft Research Center, Edwards 1, University of Cincinnati (Corry Ave. near intersection with Jefferson)

“Newsflashes from the Field and Lab: UC Archaeology around the World”

This event includes brief, high-energy presentations from UC archaeologists in Classics, Biology, Geography, and Anthropology. This is a great opportunity to learn about the breadth of research at UC, which spans a wide geographic range from Mesoamerica, the southwestern and eastern United States, Central Europe, and the Mediterranean to the Near East. A poster reception will allow opportunities for informal conversation with UC archaeologists.

The 5thAnnual Archaeology Fair will be held on Saturday, October 6th, from 11:30-3PM. This fun-filled family event introduces aspiring archaeologists of all ages to the wonders of the ancient and historical worlds. Activities include ancient crafts, real objects, and the opportunity to dress like a Roman! Real-life archaeologists from our own backyard will talk about what it’s like to excavate across the world and to share some of their interesting work. Make sure to set aside the day to join the fun!

Tuesday, October 16 at 5:30 – 7:30 PM at The Annex at Rhinegeist Brewery (1910 Elm St.); lecture to begin at 6 PM

Dr. Tate Paulette, NC State

“Where the Beer Flowed like Wine: Beer and Brewing in Bronze Age Mesopotamia”

We may be living in the age of craft brewing, but the craft of brewing has much deeper roots. For thousands of years, people have been intentionally fermenting cereal grains to create their own unique versions of the intoxicating beverage that we now call beer. In ancient Mesopotamia, beer was produced on a massive scale and was consumed on a daily basis by people across the socio-economic spectrum. Beer was a gift from the gods, a marker of civilization, a dietary staple, a social lubricant, a ritual necessity, and a reason for celebration. It was consumed at feasts, festivals, and ritual ceremonies, but also at home, on the job, and in neighborhood taverns. It was produced not only by brewers working for palaces and temples, but also by local tavern keepers and home-brewers. This lecture explores the archaeological, artistic, and written evidence for beer and brewing in Bronze Age (3000–1200 BC) Mesopotamia, as well as recent efforts to recreate Mesopotamian beer.

“Belted Ladies and Dagger Men: Technology Brings European Iron Age Back to Life”

It is a little known fact that archaeologists spend three to five years on analysis, conservation and write-up for every year of fieldwork. Public perception tends to view this follow-up activity as less exciting than the fieldwork itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thanks to new technology, many elements of dress and ornament can be reconstructed. The human body in many prehistoric societies was a kind of walking billboard. You could tell whether someone was male, female, a child, was married, occupied a certain role in society and much more from what they were wearing. Iron Age Celtic populations in central Europe are described by Greek and Roman authors as being especially fond of flashy ornament and brightly striped and checked fabrics. Unfortunately, until recently archaeological confirmation of this claim was hard to come by because the evidence consists mainly of perishable material like cloth or leather.

The "Landscape of Ancestors" excavation project focuses on mound burials of the early Iron Age in an area of southwest Germany known as Swabia. Two burial mounds containing 23 burials included six women wearing elaborate bronze decorated leather belts and head ornament and three men with daggers, swords and spears. Material that was too fragile to be excavated was removed encased in plaster and subjected to CT-scans, resulting in some of the first images ever seen of some astonishingly complex decorations on these belt ensembles. Since fieldwork ended in 2002, conservation of finds and costume reconstruction has been the main focus of the project. A major museum exhibit opening in Stuttgart in 2012 on the Celts in Baden-Württemberg featured one of our Iron Age belted ladies and one of our warriors in all their finery, a demonstration of how technology really can bring even the very ancient dead back to life.